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Fancy Dance Regalia, drawing by Kathryn Darnell (from pg. 55, Marsha MacDowell, ed. Contemporary Great Lakes Pow Wow Regalia: "Nda Maamawigaami (Together We Dance)". East Lansing, Michigan: Michigan State University Museum in collaboration with the Nokomis Learning Center, 1997)
Regalia or apparel that is worn by dancers is handmade by the dancer or a
relative or obtained through purchase or trade at pow wows. Dance regalia
includes headdresses, bustles, jewelry, sashes, dresses, shirts, leggings,
shawls, and a variety of handheld items. Some dances may only be
performed by dancers wearing certain proper regalia. The clothing usually
includes pieces made of materials from the Wingeds or Two-Wingeds (birds)
and the Four-Leggeds (animals). By wearing clothing that contains
elements of these natural materials, dancers honor all that gives life on
Earth. Dancers and singers in Great Lakes pow wows also make extensive
use of the colors red, black, white, and yellow in their regalia and
facial adornment. In each case the selection of regalia and facial
adornment are highly personal decisions, thus regalia will vary greatly
from one dancer to the next. -- (Arnie Parish and Marsha MacDowell in
Marsha MacDowell, ed. Contemporary Great Lakes Pow Wow Regalia: "Nda
Maamawigaami (Together We Dance)". East Lansing, Michigan: Michigan
State University Museum in collaboration with the Nokomis Learning Center,
1997)
No other style of American Indian dance has such widespread popularity
among native peoples across the country than the Fancy Dance and the
regalia has become the pervasive outfit of the Pan-Indian dancer. While
Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show may not have been the only reason for the
creation of the Men's Fancy Dance, it does reflect the desire of young men
to have a showier, more athletic dance and the desires of an outside
audience for a "better show."
The most striking feature of the Fancy Dance regalia are the large
bustles. These are usually "swing" bustles, made to allow the feathers to
swing back and forth with the dancer's movement. All fancy dancers use
twirlers. The whole assemblage usually features one or two favorite
colors of the wearer. -- (Cameron Wood with Jason George in Marsha
MacDowell, ed. Contemporary Great Lakes Pow Wow Regalia: "Nda Maamawigaami
(Together We Dance)". East Lansing, Michigan: Michigan State University
Museum in collaboration with the Nokomis Learning Center, 1997)
Well, I don't put a label on why I dance. I dance because I enjoy it.
It's a part of me and a part of my life. It helps to keep the community
together... to always remember where we came from and where we are going.
(Catherine Gibson)
The regalia that the traditional dancers wear has a lot to do with our
beliefs. The colors that we wear with our regalia have meaning. Green
represents Mother Earth. These colors [of my regalia] I have because I am
Deer Clan...they are orange and yellow and white....Those are the colors
that are like identification for me. (Stanley Peltier)
I started so young...I do remember starting to realize how much effort it
took to put together an outfit. I remember I was probably about seven when
I started wanting to help put together my outfits. I learned sewing from
my mom and my dad helped me learn how to work with hides and make chokers.
All my brothers and I were taught how to sew and all of us can get by
doing some beadwork. (Bedahbin Webkamigad)
It's [the jingle dress] a healing dress and a very special dress. The
healing and teaching behind it...[includes this story that]there was a
grandchild that was sick and her grandfather didn't know what to do. And
one day that grandfather had a dream of that girl; she was to wear a dress
covered with bright cones. And in that dream that girl, the grandchild,
would be healed. Each cone represents each day of the year, the 365 cones
that I mentioned. This dress is seen as a healing dress and it is greatly
respected. So this is the story of the jingle dress. (Elizabeth
Osawamick)
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